


Stray

by Wildjinx



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Angst, Love Triangles, M/M, Plot What Plot/Porn Without Plot, Smut, kitty au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-01-19
Updated: 2014-01-19
Packaged: 2018-01-09 06:58:23
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,873
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1142908
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Wildjinx/pseuds/Wildjinx
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jongin and Sehun’s lives get turned upside down when they take home a stray cat hybrid.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Stray

**Author's Note:**

> Originally written for SNCJ_Santa.

“You have the list?” Jongin asks, slipping his feet into his shoes. “Because last time you forgot it and we didn’t get everything we needed.”  
  
“It’s in my pocket,” Sehun huffs, cheeks turning a bit pink at the thought of the disaster last week’s shopping trip turned out to be as he gets ready to leave as well.  
  
Jongin pulls Sehun into hug when he’s has finished pulling on his coat, pressing his lips to his boyfriend’s cheeks briefly. “I’m only teasing,” he assures Sehun.  
  
“I know that,” Sehun mumbles against his lips. With one last peck on the lips they’re out their apartment door on the way to the grocery store.  
  
  
  
“What’s that cat doing over there?” Sehun asks as they’re about to enter the store. He is stopped just short of entering the building, starting off somewhere down along where the other stores are.  
  
“What cat?” Jongin squints in the same direction but he can’t see the animal in question.  
  
“The hybrid, I mean,” Sehun answers.  
  
 _Oh._ Now Jongin sees what Sehun’s talking about. He didn’t notice before, but there’s a man with cat ears and a tail being kicked out of a building a few doors down. The kitty looks disappointed at the rough treatment, but he gets a determined look on his face before entering the next store.  
  
“Who knows what he’s up to,” Jongin says, ushering Sehun into the grocery store ahead of him. “Come on, it’s getting cold out here.”  
  
  
  
When they see the cat again, they’re just leaving the check out with their groceries in hand. The poor thing, body way too thin with every inch of him covered in dirt and grime, gets kicked out of yet another store, but at least the grocery store they’re in is more polite about it. The manager gently explains to the cat how he can’t hire him because it’s against the law for cats to have jobs and unfortunately, there’s nothing he can do about it.  
  
“You’re looking for work?” Sehun blurts out when he and Jongin follow the cat through the exit of the store.  
  
Startled, the cat turns around to look at Sehun. He’s really attractive, minus the fact that he’s probably seen better days; his hair is greasy, sticking up in all different directions and now that Sehun’s standing next to him he notices the horrible smell radiating from him, probably the result of not bathing for god knows how long.  
  
“Ah, yes,” the cat replies with a soft voice. He smiles but it’s just a quick upturn of the corners of his lips. “But no one is willing to hire me.”  
  
“Because it’s illegal.” Jongin says.  
  
The cat nods. “I know that, but I was just hoping–”  
  
“What, that someone’s going to break the law for you?”  
  
“Jongin,” Sehun scolds. “I’m sorry about him, he’s doesn’t like people.”  
  
The cat looks genuinely surprised at that. “Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.”  
  
Jongin doesn’t say anything else, but he makes it clear to Sehun that he wants to get the hell out of there as soon as possible. He doesn’t want to have anything to do with the cat.  
  
The hybrid looks so small and delicate, like a strong wind is going to knock him over and Sehun doesn’t hesitate to reach inside the bag he’s holding and he pulls out a few apples. “Are you hungry? You can have these if you’d like.”  
  
Jongin makes a noise of distaste, but Sehun ignore him, offering the apples to the cat anyway.  
  
Just like he thought, the cat stares hungrily at the food in Sehun’s hand. He goes to reach for them before pulling his hand back. Sehun catches sight of old bruises healing around the cat’s wrists. Now that he’s looking he notices what looks like bits of dried blood on the cat’s shirt but it’s hard to be sure when he’s covered in so much dirt.  
  
“Thank you, that’s very kind of you,” he says and this time Sehun is treated with a real smile that lights up his entire face. “But I cannot accept this from you.”  
  
“Why not?” Sehun asks. Most cats jump at the opportunity to be taken care of. They want to be pets for a master that will dote on them and pet them.  
  
“I–” the cat hesitates. “I want to earn food, not be given it.”  
  
It seems that not all cats want the same things. “I understand,” Sehun says, putting the apples away right before an impatient Jongin pulls him in the direction of their apartment.  
  
  
  
The walk home is quiet, Sehun’s thoughts plagued by the pretty cat at the grocery store. He wishes there was some way they could help him, but he knows that Jongin wouldn’t approve. Jongin hates everyone that isn’t Sehun.  
  
That night Sehun can’t sleep. It’s warm and comfortable with the way Jongin’s curled around him, but his mind just won’t shut off. He hopes that wherever he is, the cat is safe and fed, as unlikely as it may be.  
  
  
  
The next week Sehun is feeling a little under the weather so Jongin insists on going to the grocery store by himself. With the list in hand, he leaves Sehun on the couch with a kiss on the forehead and a hot bowl of soup, wishing him to get better.  
  
After he’s finished eating Sehun promptly falls asleep in his little cocoon of blankets that Jongin had wrapped him up in. He doesn’t wake up when his boyfriend returns home, only stirring later that night when Jongin picks him up off the couch to take him to their bedroom.  
  
“Did you see the cat?” is the first thing Sehun asks as Jongin slides in from the other side of the bed. He snuggles closer to the warmth.  
  
“What cat?”  
  
“The hybrid from last week,” Sehun mumbles into Jongin’s shoulder. He’s been off work for the past two days and there’s been nothing else to think about. He was hoping he’d be better enough to go grocery shopping to see if the cat was still there but Jongin made him stay home and honestly he needed the rest.  
  
“Yeah, he’s still there,” Jongin confirms. “Looks like he’s been living behind the strip mall. The owners aren’t too happy about it.”  
  
Sehun stiffens. “What do you mean?”  
  
Jongin sighs. “I saw him being pushed around by the owner of that expensive shoe store.”  
  
“They’re hurting him?”  
  
“The cat is loitering, Sehun and it’s ticking some people off because it’s bad for business. Apparently no one wants to shop at a place that has a dirty, homeless cat hanging around outside.”  
  
“That’s horrible.”  
  
Jongin rubs Sehun’s back in what’s supposed to be a comforting way, but it does nothing to help the worry eating away at Sehun’s conscious.  
  
“We should help him,” Sehun blurts out.  
  
Jongin’s hand stills for a second on Sehun’s back. “It’s none of our business.”  
  
“We can’t just sit around and do nothing,” Sehun says, shifting so he can look up into his boyfriend’s eyes. “He’s already starving, what if something bad happens to him?”  
  
Jongin’s frown deepens. “He’s just a cat, a pet someone probably abandoned or he ran away.”  
  
“He’s a person,” Sehun insists and Jongin rolls his eyes. “He’s got feelings and he gets hurt.”  
  
“He’s not our responsibility.”  
  
“But–”  
  
“Sehun, we can’t afford to do anything for him anyway,” Jongin says. “One of those shelters will find him soon enough.”  
  
“I didn’t know you were so cruel,” Sehun says and he struggles out Jongin’s arms until he’s facing the other way.  
  
He hears Jongin sigh. “Sehun–”  
  
“I’m tired,” Sehun interrupts and he shakes off Jongin’s hand from where he placed it on his shoulder. “I just want to sleep.”  
  
“Okay,” Jongin says after a moment of tense silence. “Good night. I love you.”  
  
“I love you too,” Sehun whispers back.  
  
  
  
They avoid talking about their argument or whole topic of the cat for the next couple of days and things go back to normal except for the lingering tension in the air. Jongin doesn’t know how to mend the rift that’s between them. He knows that Sehun is still upset about him being unwilling to help the cat but Jongin doesn’t see a logical solution to the problem; the cat wants a job, which is something neither Jongin nor Sehun can provide for him and aiding him in finding a place to work would likely wind up with one of them fined or arrested.  
  
It’s not like Jongin’s trying to be a heartless bastard, there’s just nothing that he thinks they can do for the cat without potentially getting themselves into a lot of trouble. He doesn’t want to risk anything happening to Sehun for the sake of some random cat; he loves Sehun too much and he’s not willing to do anything that will mean losing him.  
  
  
  
Things are still a bit rocky between them when they make their usual trip to the grocery store a few days later. They don’t see the cat hanging around anywhere by the time they make it into the store. Jongin can tell that Sehun is a bit disappointed so he puts a few extra of Sehun’s favourite things into their basket to cheer him up.  
  
Sehun’s still a little down by the time they check out and they have a bit of extra money so Jongin suggests they go get some bubble tea from the café a few stores over. Sehun instantly brightens at the thought of his favourite treat and he gives Jongin a quick kiss on the cheek in thanks.  
  
They never make it to café that sells bubble tea. They only get two stores over before Sehun stops, tugging Jongin to a halt as well. Confused, Jongin turns around to see why they’ve stopped and as he follows the direction of Sehun’s gaze, his heart sinks all the way into his stomach.  
  
In between the two shops is the cat, lying on the cold concrete ground and he doesn’t appear to be moving at all.  
  
“Jongin,” Sehun gasps quietly. “Is he–”  
  
Jongin sets down the bags of groceries in his hands at Sehun’s feet and rushes over to the cat. He gently places his hand on the cat’s shoulder and luckily the poor thing flinches away from his touch. Good, he’s still alive.  
  
“I’m not going to hurt you,” he says and when the cat slowly turns to look at him, Jongin sees a cut on his bottom lip and a dark bruise under his left eye.  
  
“Is he okay?” Sehun asks, hovering a safe distance behind him.  
  
“More or less,” Jongin says. “He’s still breathing at least.”  
  
He hears Sehun release a sigh of relief and then in a quiet voice, “Jongin, we can’t just leave him here like that.”  
  
“I know,” Jongin says as he stares down at the cat. They really are too involved now to just walk away. What these store owners have done is just as illegal as a cat getting a job but because they’re humans, people turn a blind eye to it; no one cares what happens to a stray cat.  
  
Jongin goes to gather the cat in his arms and he struggles against him until Jongin whispers, “Shh, it’s okay. We’ll take care of you.” And the cat promptly goes limp against him, allowing Jongin to pick him up. Jongin curses at how light the cat feels in his arms, probably not having had a decent meal in a few weeks.  
  
  
  
Sehun’s in the bathroom running water for a bath, while Jongin’s in their bedroom struggling to remove the smelly clothes from the unconscious cat. Eventually he just grabs a pair of scissors and decides that cutting the filthy material away is the best option. When he pulls back the clothes it reveals more cuts and bruises along sickly pale skin and bones. Even with his dislike for cats, the sight still makes Jongin sick to his stomach; no one deserves this kind of treatment.  
  
Jongin leaves the cat in the bathroom with Sehun and goes to put together some sort of meal. He puts away the groceries from their shopping trip while he waits for the can of soup he opened to heat up on the stove.  
  
Sehun walks into the kitchen after a while looking worried and Jongin takes him into his arms. “How is he?” Jongin asks.  
  
He buries his face into Jongin’s shoulder. “He’s napping right now, but he’s hungry. Is the food ready yet?”  
  
“In a minute,” Jongin answers. With both hands cupping Sehun’s face, Jongin gently pulls him until they’re staring into each other’s eyes. “We can’t keep him Sehun.”  
  
Sehun glares. “Yes we can. You just don’t want to,” he counters, pulling out of Jongin’s embrace.  
  
“I already told you that we can’t afford another mouth to feed. We’re barely scrapping by as it is. You know that just as much as I do.” The soup is properly heated through at this point and as a distraction Jongin pours a decent portion into the bowl he set out earlier.  
  
“I’ll take extra shifts at work,” Sehun says.  
  
It would be a reasonable solution except for the fact that both Sehun and Jongin have the maximum amount of hours they can get at their jobs. “You’ll go into overtime,” Jongin gently reminds him.  
  
Sehun almost rips the bowl of hot soup out of Jongin’s hands. “I’ll get another job then,” he hisses and storms off in the direction of the cat.  
  
  
  
“I’m sorry.”  
  
Jongin glances over at the cat briefly before turning his attention back down at his book. It doesn’t stop the hybrid from going on and on, continually thanking and apologizing to Jongin. Luckily Jongin is saved from having to put up with it any longer when Sehun steps through the front door and the cat rushes over to greet him.  
  
“Oh, Joonmyun,” Jongin hears Sehun say, “you’re looking much better today.”  
  
“It’s all thanks to you two,” Joonmyun smiles brightly. The cat cleaned up well and his smile is so genuine that it’s almost attractive. “I’m sorry to be such a burden, I should get going now.”  
  
“You’re not a burden at all,” Sehun says and the look he sends Jongin is enough for him to keep his mouth shut. “You’re welcome to stay here as long as you’d like.”  
  
“No thank you,” is Joonmyun’s immediate answer. He’s no longer smiling, but looking warily from Sehun to Jongin. “I should go.”  
  
“It’s really okay if you want to stay,” Sehun insists. He takes a step towards Joonmyun but the cat takes a step back. Jongin narrows his eyes at Joonmyun’s obvious defensive stance; Sehun doesn’t seem to notice and he takes another step forward.  
  
Jongin abandons the book he was reading in favour of standing by his boyfriend’s side because he doesn’t trust the cat’s actions. “What are you so afraid of,” he asks the cat. “You won’t get a better offer than this.”  
  
Joonmyun looks away, not saying a word for a few minutes. “I will not wear a collar again,” he finally says. “I’m not a pet.”  
  
“We didn’t ask you to be our pet,” Jongin says, crossing his arms over his chest as he glares at Joonmyun. “We just offered you a place to live. Possibly in exchange for doing chores or something else useful but if you don’t want to, you know where the door is.”  
  
“You’re actually okay with him staying?” Sehun asks. “Yesterday you couldn’t wait to kick him out.”  
  
Jongin shrugs. “If he’s going to stay, then he’ll be helping out. We’re not taking in a freeloader.”  
  
“I know how to cook,” Joonmyun says. “And I don’t mind cleaning.”  
  
  
  
Sehun spends all his free time collecting job applications and handing out resumes. Jongin was right about one thing, they really can’t afford to feed the three of them with the jobs they have now. Sehun is hoping to pick up another part time job to cover the extra cost of groceries. For now they’re all conserving as much of the food as possible.  
  
Joonmyun came into their lives with nothing, so Sehun’s been using what money they can spare to get the cat some essential items. A red toothbrush is the first thing that he comes home with for Joonmyun. Sehun doesn’t think that it’s a big deal but Joonmyun’s eyes light up when Sehun hands it to him. It’s kind of cute.  
  
  
  
It’s a surprise the first time that Jongin comes home after a long day at work to find Joonmyun in the kitchen. He’s humming a soft tune to himself, stirring whatever he’s cooking on the stove. It smells delicious but Jongin will never say it out loud and it’s making him even hungrier than he already was.  
  
“Dinner is almost ready,” Joonmyun says quietly, startling Jongin out of his thoughts. He must have heard Jongin enter the room with his heightened cat senses. Jongin had forgotten all about the quirks that hybrids have until now.  
  
“I’m not hungry,” Jongin says despite the fact that he’s starving.  
  
Joonmyun turns around to stare at him, one eyebrow raised. He’s wearing the ‘kiss the cook’ apron that Sehun bought which neither of them actually wear. It looks far better on the cat than it would on Sehun or Jongin.  
  
“Your stomach is growling,” Joonmyun says, before turning his attention back to the stove. He turns the element off and takes the pot off the heat. Another pot on the stove has already cooked pasta in it. “Have a seat at the table. I made spaghetti.”  
  
He doesn’t give Jongin a choice, steering him in the direction of the table and forcing him to sit. Everything’s already laid out and all Joonmyun has to do is portion the pasta and sauce onto Jongin’s plate.  
  
Jongin reluctantly takes a bite and he’s pleasantly surprised that it tastes as amazing as it smells.  
  
“Is it good?”  
  
With a mouthful of food, the only thing Jongin can do is nod and Joonmyun’s whole face brightens up with a gorgeous smile. When he’s finished eating, Joonmyun packs up the leftovers for Sehun and finishes cleaning up the kitchen.  
  
It’s been a long time since Jongin has been taken care of like this. He could definitely get used to it.  
  
  
  
Sehun instructs Joonmyun to hide his tail and then proceeds to shove a hat on his head before pushing him out the front door. The entire bus ride Joonmyun wonders where they’re headed and he asks but Sehun refuses to answer. “It’s a surprise,” he claims, staring pointedly out the window so he doesn’t give any clues to their destination away.  
  
It works because Joonmyun only gets it when the bus pulls up in front of the mall. “What are we doing here?” Joonmyun asks, staring in awe at the huge building.  
  
“Shopping,” Sehun says, pulling the cat inside and out of the cold. It’s nothing fancy but Joonmyun looks like he’s never seen anything so wonderful in his entire life. It kind of breaks Sehun’s heart a little and he’s curious about what Joonmyun’s life was like before they met.  
  
“It’s really nice,” Joonmyun says later, smiling softly at Sehun.  
  
“What is?”  
  
“Not having people stare at me.”  
  
“What?”  
  
Joonmyun points to where his ears are completely hidden under the beanie. “People stare at hybrids,” he explains. His voice sounds a bit off. “It’s a nice change. No one gives me a second glance.”  
  
Sehun can’t imagine what it’s like to be a hybrid, to be bred and raised to be someone else’s plaything. Sehun thinks that cats are people too, but most of the population treats them as objects; a shiny new toy and once it gets old and worn, they throw them away for a newer, younger and prettier model. Sehun wonders if that’s what happened to Joonmyun, if he was thrown away like a piece of garbage.  
  
Not knowing what to do, Sehun pulls Joonmyun into a thrift store as a distraction and together they look around for clothes that might fit the cat. After spending a few minutes going through the racks, they decide on a few things that are within Sehun’s price range. Joonmyun, for the most part, has picked out a bunch of really ugly sweaters (“I get cold easily,” the cat explains when Sehun asks about his choices), while Sehun has found more acceptable clothes.  
  
“You’re trying these on,” Sehun says when they’re done looking around. He holds up the items and leaves little room for argument before pushing Joonmyun in the direction of the fitting rooms. He unceremoniously shoves him inside one of the tiny stalls before following and shutting the door behind them.  
  
Sehun doesn’t even realize that he’s done anything wrong by locking himself in the fitting room with Joonmyun. It’s what Sehun’s always done with Jongin so he doesn’t think twice about it. Joonmyun doesn’t even call him on it either, just gives Sehun an odd look through their reflections of the mirror before starting to strip so he try on what they picked out.  
  
Sehun can’t help but stare as Joonmyun continues to peel off each layer of clothes until he’s left standing clad in only his boxers. Sehun gulps; locking himself in here with the cat was a bad idea. His eyes shamelessly roam Joonmyun’s body, which Sehun’s pleased to note has filled out nicely with regular meals. The cat hybrid no longer looks like just flesh and bones and his skin has a healthy glow to it, making Sehun want to reach out and run his fingers across every inch.  
  
Joonmyun tries on the first pair of pants that Sehun picked out, along with a plain t-shirt and then topped off with one of those god-awful sweaters he loves. Sehun thinks the sweater is hideous and he wonders why the thrift store is even trying to sell the damn thing, but Joonmyun smiles at him through the mirror and Sehun’s heart melts because even if it’s ugly the cat still looks completely adorable in the slightly oversized thing.  
  
The clothes come off again but and Sehun’s struck with the sudden urge to press Joonmyun up against the mirror and see for himself if the cat’s skin feels as soft and smooth as it looks. Except Jongin’s face flashes in Sehun’s mind and he’s queasy with guilt. He feels trapped inside the fitting room, stubbornly keeps his hands to himself and waits until Joonmyun’s got another outfit on – another ugly sweater and pair of faded jeans – before he slips out of the stall, claiming that he needs to use the washroom.  
  
Ten minutes later, after Sehun’s splashed water on his face in attempt to snap himself out of whatever trance he’d fallen into, he returns to the store he left Joonmyun in. He spies the hybrid wandering in between the racks of clothes.  
  
“Do the clothes fit?” Sehun asks when he catches up with Joonmyun. He nods in response and Sehun wants to ruffle Joonmyun’s hair, but his head is covered once again with the beanie and he doesn’t know if it’ll hurt Joonmyun’s cat ears so Sehun keeps his hands fisted at his sides.  
  
The cashier silently judges Sehun and Joonmyun as she rings the terrible sweaters through the cash. Sehun pays, glaring right back at her and when they’re done the pair heads back to the bus station. They’ll have just enough time to get back home before Sehun needs to gather his things and get ready for another night shift.  
  
  
  
Jongin’s definitely gotten used to having Joonmyun around. For the most part, Joonmyun spends his time cleaning, doing laundry or preparing meals. And then there are the rare times when Sehun actually has a day off and he spends his free time taking the cat out shopping. For clothes, for bubble tea, for whatever Sehun feels like at the time. They always come home with another little trinket for the cat.  
  
Jongin is mad (definitely _not_ jealous). Mad because Sehun’s spending what little extra money he has on Joonmyun. Mad because lately Sehun’s been more interested in looking after Joonmyun’s needs than the needs of his own boyfriend’s.  
  
Jongin just misses Sehun, that’s all.  
  
He can’t even be mad at Joonmyun for it. Not when the cat cooks such heavenly meals and does such a fantastic job of keeping the apartment clean and tidy. He smiles shyly, cheeks turning a bit pink each time Jongin praises his hard work and Joonmyun looks so adorable that it only makes him want to compliment him more.  
  
It’s not hard for Jongin to forget about Sehun sometimes and pretend that Joonmyun is his boyfriend instead.  
  
  
  
Joonmyun wants to hide, curl up in a little ball until the feeling passes. He wants to explain to Jongin and Sehun that he needs a few days to himself each month because something terrible happens to him. Something that he can’t control.  
  
It’s a thing that happens to all hybrids once they mature. A side effect of mixing human and cat DNA, it’s sick and perverted but it’s also what makes almost all of the entire human population want to have a pet of their own.  
  
Joonmyun shudders. He feels hot and there is the beginnings of an itch creeping under his skin. He doesn’t know what’s going to happen when he goes into heat tomorrow.  
  
  
  
With all the extra hours Sehun has been putting in at his two jobs, he’s exhausted. He’d been spacing out during his shift, getting orders wrong and he almost tripped and spilled an entire hot meal on a customer. His manager, a woman not too much older than himself wants to send him home early, saying he needs to go relax and then get a good night’s sleep. Sehun needs the money, but he can’t argue with how sloppy his performance has been. He thanks his manager, definitely glad he’s just being sent home rather than fired, and he agrees to leave early.  
  
  
  
Jongin is sitting at the kitchen table watching as Joonmyun cooks. He doesn’t remember the name of the dish Joonmyun had said that he’s making (it’s some complicated Western thing) but it smell delicious and that’s all that really matters to Jongin.  
  
Except Jongin has been noticing something odd about Joonmyun today. He’s not exactly sure what it is, but there’s definitely something different. Joonmyun’s voice sounds a bit deeper than it normally does and his usually pale skin has taken on a bit of a rosy tint to it. Jongin is worried that he is coming down with a bit of a cold.  
  
It startles Joonmyun when Jongin gets up to stand next to him, which is odd because usually nothing can sneak up on the cat. “Are you feeling alright?” Jongin asks as he watches Joonmyun poke at whatever he’s cooking on the stovetop.  
  
“Fine,” Joonmyun replies, pointedly not looking away from what he’s doing. It’s like he almost can’t stand still, constantly needing to move, to fidget with something. “Just fine.”  
  
“You don’t look fine, ” Jongin continues, carefully observing Joonmyun’s skittish behaviour. “You’re flushed.”  
  
“It’s nothing,” Joonmyun insists, still busying himself with whatever he’s cooking. “Really.”  
  
Jongin stares at Joonmyun for another minute before he giving up. “If you say so,” he says, retreating back to his spot at the table. He decides to keep a close eye on Joonmyun tonight, in case he works himself too hard that he runs himself into the ground.  
  
  
  
Sehun’s so out of it that he falls asleep on the bus ride home and he nearly misses his stop. By the time he drags his ass up the three flights of stairs he’s ready to fall into bed and sleep for the next week straight. He fumbles with his keys for a second before he finally gets the door unlocked and he lets himself inside.  
  
The first thing he sees when he walks into the living room is Joonmyun curled up in Jongin’s arms on the couch. Sehun blinks, rubs at his eyes with the back of his hands but the image of the cat he saved cuddled up with his boyfriend is still there when he looks again. Jongin’s hand is tangled in Joonmyun’s messy hair, and the other is running down the length of his spine; Jongin’s petting him.  
  
He now registers the odd sound that fills the room as Joonmyun’s purring. Joonmyun is _enjoying_ it.  
  
In a trance, Sehun turns around and walks back to the front door. He opens it and slams it shut, making sure that it’s loud enough that the pair in the other room can hear.  
  
When he returns to the living room Jongin and Joonmyun are sitting at opposite ends of the couch. They both look guilty. Sehun’s stomach turns and he feels sick.  
  
  
  
This time Jongin notices that there’s something different about Sehun. He can’t quite pinpoint what’s wrong but he thinks that his boyfriend’s been avoiding him (which is hard to tell because normally spends all his time at work now). Sehun’s been known to be moody at times or if something’s bothering him he can sulk about it for days, but as far as Jongin knows, he hasn’t done anything wrong. He goes over a mental checklist in his head of potential important dates that he might have missed and he comes up with nothing.  
  
He catches Sehun in their bedroom, getting ready to turn in for the night because he’s got an early shift in the morning. “Do you have a second?” Jongin asks.  
  
Sehun jumps and spins around, clearly startled because he hadn’t heard Jongin enter the room. He half glares, half pouts at Jongin from the other side of the room. “No,” he says before he climbs into bed. “I need to go to bed now if I want to be up in time for work tomorrow.” He lays down with his back to Jongin.  
  
Yup, Sehun’s definitely mad at him.  
  
“It’ll only take a second,” Jongin says as he closes the bedroom door behind him.  
  
“Jongin,” Sehun warns. It’s supposed to sound menacing, but it comes out as a mumble into the pillow instead.  
  
“You’ve been avoiding me,” Jongin says, crossing the room. The sounds his clothes make when they hit the floor are loud in the silent room and by the time he makes it to the bed, he’s only in his underwear. “Talk to me, tell me what’s wrong.”  
  
Jongin gets in the bed behind Sehun, wrapping his arm around his boyfriend to pull him close. Sehun doesn’t pull away, but he doesn’t lean into Jongin’s touch either.  
  
“No.”  
  
“I’m not blind,” he presses a kiss onto the back of Sehun’s neck. Jongin feels a slight shudder run through his body; it’s been a long time since they’ve been able to be together like this. Too long. Jongin had almost forgotten what it felt like to have Sehun in his arms. He didn’t realize he missed it so much until now. “I know something’s bothering you.”  
  
Sehun stays silent for a long time and Jongin’s about to give up, thinking that his boyfriend has actually fallen asleep on him. He goes to pull away but Sehun grabs hold of his hand, lacing their fingers together and it keeps Jongin in place.  
  
“I saw you,” Sehun chokes out.  
  
Jongin’s heart sinks to his stomach. He knows exactly what Sehun’s talking about. “It’s not what you think,” Jongin says.  
  
“That’s what they all say.”  
  
Jongin squeezes Sehun’s hand. “Just listen to me, okay? Nothing happened.”  
  
“Then why were you holding him?” Sehun’s voice sounds rough and Jongin can tell that he’s started crying, but as usual, he’s trying not to show it. “Why was he purring? I’ve never heard him purr before.”  
  
“Sehun,” Jongin says slowly, choosing his words carefully. He’s not even sure if he wants to ask what’s on his mind. “Are you upset because I was holding someone else or that someone else was holding Joonmyun?”  
  
Sehun’s silence is all Jongin needs to hear. He pulls away – Sehun almost doesn’t let him go, clutching desperately to his hand and pleading for him to stay – and he climbs out of their bed. When he closes the bedroom door behind him, he pretends that he can’t hear the sound of Sehun crying.  
  
  
  
Sehun rushes home from his shift as fast as he can because it’s Thursday and Jongin has the day off. When he dumps his stuff in the hallway and rushes into the apartment, he’s relieved to find that Jongin is still home. He’s in the kitchen making something for lunch, which is odd because they have a cat hybrid that is supposed to be doing that sort of thing for them. “Where’s Joonmyun?” Sehun asks.  
  
“In the shower,” Jongin replies, not bothering to look up from what he’s doing.  
  
“Good.” In a few short steps, Sehun’s beside Jongin. He forces him to put everything down and face him. “We need to talk.”  
  
“We talked last night.”  
  
Sehun pouts. It’s low, but he knows that Jongin can’t resist him when he makes that face. Eventually Jongin sighs. “Go ahead,” he says.  
  
“I thought you liked Joonmyun too.”  
  
“I don’t.”  
  
Sehun frowns. “Then what were you two doing?”  
  
Jongin glances in the direction of the bathroom, where Joonmyun is taking a long, cold shower. “Joonmyun is in heat right now,” he says. “He couldn’t help himself before.”  
  
 _Oh._ That definitely explains everything.  
  
“I’m so sorry,” Sehun says. His eyes sting and he tries to hold back but the tears roll down his cheeks anyway.  
  
Jongin pulls him into his arms and hold him tightly. “I’m sorry too.”  
  
  
  
Joonmyun’s tail and ears are wet (which is gross and uncomfortable) and he’s freezing, but it’s doing nothing to stop the itch burning under his skin. He hates that he can’t control himself when he gets like this. Being rescued by Jongin and Sehun was the best thing that ever happened to him and he’d never forgive himself if he did anything that could screw that up. He really likes living here, absolutely adores both of the humans he looks after and for once in his life he’s actually happy. The last thing he wants to do is come between the couple that was kind enough to take him in.  
  
  
  
Jongin looks up when he hears the water in the shower shut off. He gives Sehun one last squeeze before pulling back to wipe the tears from his cheeks. His thumbs linger against the soft skin just under Sehun’s eyes. “I love you,” he whispers before pulling Sehun into a soft, slow kiss. “So much.”  
  
“I love you too,” Sehun replies when they finally pull away. He gives Jongin a tiny smile before the corners of his lips pull downward again. Jongin knows what he has to do.  
  
“We should help Joonmyun out,” Jongin suggests.  
  
“I – What?”  
  
The door to the bathroom unlocks and a dripping wet Joonmyun steps out wearing nothing but a white fluffy towel around his waist.  
  
“He’s suffering,” Jongin continues, like this isn’t the most ridiculous idea he’s ever had. “And we can do something to help until his heat ends, if he wants.”  
  
“Jongin?” Sehun asks as Joonmyun stares at them from the doorway, the lust clear in his eyes and it looks like he’s trying to decide if he wants to jump them or lock himself up in the bathroom again.  
  
“Come on,” Jongin says. He grabs Sehun’s hand and leads them over to where Joonmyun is standing.  
  
“No, don’t come any closer,” Joonmyun whimpers, backing away slightly. Jongin continues to pull Sehun until they have the cat backed up against the doorframe. “What are you doing?”  
  
“We want to help,” Jongin explains as he holds out his hand for Joonmyun to take. The hybrid’s cat ears are down, pressed flat against his wet hair and he’s eyeing the pair of them suspiciously. “There’s no reason for you to be afraid. You can say no if you want to but we can help you through your heat.”  
  
Joonmyun starts purring softly as he reluctantly reaches out to take Jongin’s outstretched hand. He nods shyly and Jongin guides the three of them to the bedroom. He closes the door behind them and when he turns around both Sehun and Joonmyun are staring at him nervously, as if they’re both afraid to be the one to make the first move.  
  
Jongin sighs. “Well, what are you waiting for Sehun? Kiss him.”  
  
There’s a little stab off pain in Jongin’s heart when Sehun doesn’t even hesitate before throwing himself on Joonmyun. His hands slip against the cat’s wet skin, but he still manages to pull him into a kiss just fine. The kiss is soft and unsure at first, until Joonmyun’s purring gets louder and he moves closer to Sehun, deepening the kiss.  
  
Jongin hoped it wouldn’t be so easy, but Sehun’s really into the idea of helping Joonmyun out. He pushes the cat down onto the bed and it’s only after he’s rid himself of his shirt does he stop and turn around to look at Jongin. His face is flushed and there’s a filthy smile pulling at his well-kissed lips. Jongin tries not to think about the fact that someone else is the cause of Sehun’s slightly debauched appearance.  
  
“Aren’t you going to join us?” Sehun asks. He’s straddling Joonmyun’s thighs, running his hands across the cat’s exposed chest. The pair on the bed are breathing heavily, clearly enjoying this turn of events while Jongin thinks he’s going to be sick.  
  
“Yeah,” Jongin replies after a moment, when he no longer thinks he’s going to throw up. He watches as Sehun reaches over to grab the lube from the bedside table. The bottle hasn’t been used in a while. He’s still standing by the door when Sehun’s finished pulling off the rest of his clothes and Joonmyun’s towel has been discarded in a heap on the floor. Jongin has to keep reminding himself that this was _his idea_.  
  
As Sehun opens the bottle, whatever was left of Jongin’s heart shatters into a million pieces. He watches as his boyfriend and best friend in the entire world spreads lube onto his fingers for _someone else_. Joonmyun mewls for more as Sehun’s first finger slides into him and Jongin feels a bit dizzy.  
  
But it’s the smile on Sehun’s face that forces Jongin to stay frozen in place with his mouth firmly shut. It’s been so long since Jongin’s seen that kind of expression on his face. Guilt and pain creep up his spine as Sehun adds another finger into Joonmyun, gently working them in and out.  
  
“More,” Joonmyun cries out, practically clawing at Sehun’s arms and down his back in an attempt to pull him closer. “I need more. Touch me.”  
  
Sehun just laughs in response, but he does give into Joonmyun’s needy demands, leaving licks and nips and kisses against every inch of the cat’s flushed skin that he can reach. A third finger from Sehun has Joonmyun melting back against the sheets and the louder he gets, the more impatient he becomes, begging Sehun to just fuck him already.  
  
It’s when Sehun rolls on the condom, seconds away from pushing inside Joonmyun that Jongin realizes that his boyfriend has fallen out of love with him and in love with Joonmyun; they’re in their own little world of pleasure and fun while Jongin’s the outsider looking in, slowly breaking down. So it startles Jongin when Joonmyun turns his eyes from Sehun to him.  
  
“Come here,” the cat beckons just after he’s filled up with Sehun’s dick. It catches Sehun’s attention too and he looks over his shoulder at Jongin as if he only just remembered that there’s another person in the room.  
  
“You’re still dressed,” Sehun says. He frowns, taking in the awkward and uncomfortable way Jongin’s standing but he’s still balls deep in Joonmyun, lazily stroking the hybrid’s cock with his free hand. “Are you okay? You don’t look well.”  
  
“I think I need to go lie down,” Jongin chokes out. He doesn’t wait for a response before he and almost trips over his own feet on his way over to the door, practically throwing himself out of the bedroom when he reaches it.  
  
Once Jongin’s outside with the door closed behind him, he feels like he can finally breathe again. It only takes about a minute for him stumble his way over to the couch and he collapses onto the cushions. Jongin tries to pretend that he doesn’t hear the moans and thuds coming from the bedroom but he can’t block out the sounds and it breaks his heart all over again.  
  
Jongin’s so in love with Sehun that he can’t even bring himself to be mad about it. He just wants his boyfriend to be happy; if it means being with someone else then so be it. Sehun is the love of his life and Jongin will do anything for him, even if it means letting him go.


End file.
